Conventionally, a single image forming apparatus such as a printer or the like is shared by a plurality of computers. In this case, the user selects a desired printer on his or her computer, and makes the selected printer execute a desired job via a versatile interface such as a LAN or the like or an interface using dedicated hardware.
Also, a system which is called a server-client system, and in which a job issued by a client user is sent to a printer via a controller server is well known.
In recent years, in a light print market called print-on-demand, the frequency of making an image forming apparatus execute a large number of jobs from a computer is on the rise, and a method of making the image forming apparatus efficiently execute a large number of jobs with low cost is demanded.
In order to efficiently execute jobs, a server having a high-end controller function that can process a large number jobs, and a plurality of image forming apparatuses connected to the server are indispensable in place of making one image forming apparatus execute one job especially, upon printing a large amount of data, a document server system which manages to split a single job into a plurality of print jobs, and control a plurality of image forming apparatuses to output them is used.
However, when a plurality of print jobs split from a single job are executed using a plurality of image forming apparatuses, the user must configure image processes to be executed by the image forming apparatuses, sheet feed trays, and finishing processes on a client. In such case, it is difficult to determine correspondence between respective configurations and image forming apparatuses, and the user must be familiar with the specifications and features of individual image forming apparatuses, or the names of respective units and the like. Hence, the user cannot easily make configurations.
As another method, desired configurations for individual image forming apparatuses may be prepared in advance, and upon outputting using a plurality of image forming apparatuses, configurations prepared for respective image forming apparatuses to be used may be selected. However, this method also requires troublesome operations.
Furthermore, when a plurality of print jobs split from a single job are executed using a plurality of image forming apparatuses, configurations in jobs such as an image processing method, destination tray, paper size, booklet imposition method (two-/one-sided print), and the like must be done for each individual image forming apparatus, but the paper size and booklet imposition method normally use identical configurations upon output. More specifically, when a plurality of image forming apparatuses as output destinations include different types of apparatuses such as color and monochrome image forming apparatuses, or have different finishing options (e.g., the number of exhaust trays attached), the user configures functions unique to each individual image forming apparatus such as a color/monochrome image processing method, designation of an exhaust tray, and the like. However, it is generally desirable to use common configurations such as a paper size, a two-sided print mode, and the like upon output.
For this reason, when the user instructs a plurality of image forming apparatuses to execute a single job, respective image forming apparatuses may output using different paper sizes or may form both one- and two-sided printouts, unless common functions of configurations for those image forming apparatuses are designated to have identical configurations. In such case, an output result that the user did not want may be obtained.
For this reason, in order to designate common functions to have identical configurations, the user must be familiar with configuration items which are these common functions.
In this way, when a single job is executed using a plurality of image forming apparatuses, the user must be familiar with configuration items of individual image forming apparatuses, and must designate items to be commonly configured to have identical configurations in all image forming apparatuses, so as to obtain a desired output result. Hence, the operations becomes complicated.